Ryan Davis, 1979 - 2013

The graffiti is gone, but you can still see it if you turn on 3D buildings. A little off topic, but I thought that was cool.

RIP RTD

Love you Ryan!!! Miss you and your presence.

But watching E3 After Hours coverage this year, I had a few moments, especially, weirdly enough, during the Jenga segments, seeing everyone coming and going, laughing and having such a good time, with even something as simple as Jenga, it made me laugh obviously but also smile and think about Ryan Davis and how he hosted them, he certainly has left a lasting legacy with Giant Bomb. It started simple with just Jeff and Ryan and it's bloomed into something way bigger. And those E3 shows with all those guests and industry friends, it's the ultimate showcase.

RIP Ryan. Never met you but damn were you a good friend.

Thank you for posting this specific Bombcast bit. I was just playing Project Cars this weekend, after buying it on the Steam sale, and I legitimately thought for a moment "This would be great with a racing wheel. Maybe I should buy a racing wheel." Then, I heard Ryan's voice in my head saying, "Don't buy a fucking racing wheel!" I wanted to go back to listen to this, but couldn't be arsed to actually find it.

RIP Ryan, and thanks for saving me (and Vinny) several hundred dollars.

Gone, but still not forgotten :'(

Saw this article pop up in my FB flashback and was immediately saddened. Turning my mood around with the memorial podcasts and countless youtube clips of our friend Ryan Davis.

RIP Ryan...Just had this pop back up on my Facebook feed.

Crazy to think it's been 3 years already.

It was also kind of weird. It wasn't someone I knew personally. But it felt like I lost a close friend. Listening to podcast from the beginning, watching all the videos, you get a real sense of what these people are like, and you do get to really know them. And having that news drop like that was just devastating.

You'll always be missed. And impossible to forget. You've left a permanent mark on my life, and my sense of humor.

I'm still missing Ryan, still stumbling across videos and audio clips with him in now and then. His personality is big enough that when you watch and listen to that stuff back it's almost like he's still around.

Can't believe its three years ago. I was in Belgium at the time and couldn't believe the news, it caught me completely off guard and life hasn't been the same since. At that time the Bombcast also changed and I think I also started to transition away from it. For me it was Ryan that was holding it all together, keeping it sane and on track and when he passed on, so did I.

Sad, on so many levels.

Dammit. Ryan.

Man, every year this is still hard to process. I was on my family vacation at the time, and I remember seeing stories and/or tweets about mourning his loss immediately after it happened and thinking it was just a crazy joke because he had literally just gotten married. It really hit me hard when I realized the unbelievable happened. As many have said, despite never meeting him, it felt like we were close friends.

Ryan was a great part of this website and always made enjoyable videos and podcast and seemed like a nice guy.

I've never seen such an outpouring of hurt and grief from an online community in my life.

I still can't listen to the memorial Bombcast.

It's always interesting listening to or watching older material. Now that he's been gone a few years, it's really easy to see just how much his personality added to everything GB did. It's crazy how magnetic he was. I've never encountered anyone quite like him. He's the only stranger I can recall feeling upset over his passing. He gave us a lot, and he is missed.

Odihneasca-te in pace, Ryan!

No amount of reminiscing is going to encompass, nor do justice, to the memory of Taswell.

However, if I had to pick one enduring legacy of Ryan, I would say that:

I still want to know what HE THINKS of the things that are happening now. I want Ryan's take on Pokemon Go, Adam Boyes going to Iron Galaxy, the Brexit, Rio Olympics, the current US political climate, the return of Crystal Pepsi... ANYTHING.

To me, that is Ryan's prevailing specter. It's the incessant presence in my mind, and it's a strong one.

Still miss Ryan for every Bombcast. Still the biggest loss of someone I never actually met, but felt close to. I still vividly remember the day the news was posted. Waking up, grabbed my laptop to check out GB. The disbelief as (though I knew it wasn't a sick joke) that maybe, just maybe another update would appear amending the news. Maybe it wasn't as bad as it was reported. Maybe he was just sick. The shared sense of loss on here and everywhere. That first podcast after. The following weeks when the site didn't feel the same - hell it doesn't feel the same even now (not that the site is bad, but it is distinctly Ryan-less), his presence in GOTY talks. Damn it Ryan.

Three years! Gone but not forgotten. Just recently married. So sad. Praying for his family!

I am not sure if I will ever feel comfortable changing my avatar...but I think I am ok with that. Love Ya, Ryan.

Just re-added a year to my subscription during the sale and when that bit happens where the giant bomb crew is "cheering" for you subscribing it definitely brought a smile to my face to hear Ryan's voice in that. :) Miss you man.

So met a girl I was into and we were talking about Yelp for some reason and I brought up people making crazy Yelp reviews. Anyways, I showed her Ryan's and man... just wanted to share this gem for anyone who remembered it coming up on the Bombcast a long time ago or never even read it. It is such a gem.

https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=H1wNjOkqEk_OL2qdIgmO6A

Fuji Japanese and Mongolian Barbeque - CLOSED

2 Stars

I should preface this review by stating that I freaking *love* Mongolian BBQ. Growing up, trips to the Ghenghis Khan in Coddingtown were always a special occasion, and I was simply beside myself when I learned that Fuji--a sushi restaurant that, in my experience, had always been serviceable--was bringing the format to Petaluma.

The beauty of Mongolian BBQ, from both the proprietor and the customer perspective, is that it's pretty hard to screw up. The customer throws a bunch of thin-sliced meat, veggies, and sauce into a bowl, a grill-man toss it on a hot grill for a couple minutes, and then you're on your way. And if that combination didn't really work for you? Well, there's always the next bowl to try again.

The BBQ itself here is decent--good, even--but in the half-dozen visits I've made here, I have been absolutely blown away by the consistently apathetic, disinterested, and poorly trained waitstaff. They never seem to know how to approach the table, and requests for drinks are consistently met with confusion and bewilderment. Despite the restaurant being mostly empty every time I've been here, the staff is slow and always seems incredibly distracted by everything but the customers.

You'd think service in a buffet-style setting wouldn't be an issue, except that, rather than leave a stack of bowls next to the buffet counter, Fuji has the waitresses (never seen a male waitperson here) bring the bowls to the customers' tables one at a time. It's counter-intuitive to the Mongolian BBQ experiences I've had, though it wouldn't be an issue with an attentive waitstaff.

They also insist on starting each meal with bowls of just the most awful, watery, flavorless egg drop soup I've ever been served. Since I have no interest in ruining my appetite with this grey-ish slurry, every visit has started with a lengthy wait for my first bowl to arrive. I don't consider myself an impatient diner, but when the only thing between you and an enjoyable dining experience is a freaking *bowl*, it can be frustrating.

If I had to speculate, a lot of the format decisions here are driven by a desire to slow the pace of the diner and ultimately curb the amount of Mongolian BBQ they consume. But that theory gets blown to smithereens by the way they treat steamed rice like Nazi gold, refusing to serve it in portions larger than a measly quarter-cup at a time. Rice is cheap and fills people up quickly; why wouldn't you serve it in plentiful portions, or even just put out a rice cooker that the customers could serve themselves from?

As much as I enjoy the actual food here, and find the place to generally be a pretty great value, I've always left feeling like I've spent too much of my visit struggling against the service. So Fuji Mongolian BBQ, you're on notice: either fire your waitstaff and replace them people interested in customer service, or give the customers direct access to bowls and rice. These might seem like simple requests, and minor things to penalize a restaurant over, but when bowls and rice are pretty much the only things the waitstaff is responsible for, it comes off as a pretty significant failing.

The Nazi gold/rice line is still the best, also with a great use of "smithereens" just before.

Listening to 8 year old bombcasts

I love how Ryan knew how to properly use commas. Nobody does anymore, if they even bother to use them in the first place, it seems.

...and now I'm hungry for Mongolian BBQ.

I've been listening to old bombcasts and Ryan really was great at hosting it.

@bonorbitz: I use commas a lot like Ryan actually and was really inspired to do so by his writing. He was such a great writer.

Miss you Ryan.

Yep. Still tearing up every god-damn time I look at this page. Miss you Ryan.

Thank you Ryan!

Don't know why, but my thoughts turned to Ryan today. I can't believe it's been three years, I still remember that gut-punch feeling to this day.

Rest in Peace, Ryan.

The other day - and this was totally by accident - I was listening to This Year's best of GB - 2011 I think - and lo and fucking behold the topic of discussion? FFXV. The guys were laughing about how it had been announced ages ago. What's it called? Agito XIII. No no Versus XIII? No no it's fabula nova... ah fuck it.

Realize we have been talking about the same things and laughing about the same things for ages. Realize really, in my life, *I've* talking about and laughing about the same things. Also realizing - perhaps a bit late now / and perhaps a bit obvious - that it's so much about who you're making these dumb jokes with. Impossible to listen to Ryan and not remind myself to cherish time with friends. A cliche, misty-eyed, Christmas reminder.

>.< very funny stuff. Always on my mind duder! much love, G

I remember being on Twitter seeing a bunch of people going RIP Ryan Davis and thinking, "Oh what's he up to this time?" coming over here to find THIS on the frontpage and going, "No...wait...WHAT?!?!?"

Brad Garrett: still not burning in shit, Ryan.

@artisanbreads: That was an awesome read. God I still miss Ryan.

I never stop missing this dude. I listen to old podcasts all the time and for a while I forget he's gone, and he's back at it, making me laugh again and keeping the Giant Bomb train rolling. So many hours spent watching him and hearing his voice blast into my ears.... I don't know if it'll ever feel real. Miss you, Ryan.

Miss you Ryan. Thanks for everything. Even still.

Still thinking of ya, Ryan. Hope you're having a kick-ass time, wherever you are.

<3

Was rolling through a few old school Bombcast moments, just want to pay my respects. Great writer, great personality, I'm sure he was a hell of a guy. Gonna break out the old 574s for work tomorrow. Baller time.

You never know when grief will hit, but I've been missing Ryan all week long. Here's to you, duder.

Same thing just happened to me. I listened to old bombcasts on the mixlr and now listen on GBencore as background for work or games. I actually watched all the TANG videos about a month ago no problem.But today, damn...

I definitely feel the same as many in here. Just wanna hear him speak his mind on everything going on in the world.

I started listening late '08; I was 15. At that age I had the time to read everything backward and forward, watch every video, and sit patiently through every podcast. I've heard so many hours of the GB crew. Right now it feels like something will pop up from him one day.

Still I know its weird to miss someone I never had the chance to meet, but its there for sure today (he'd probably talk mad shit about this type of stupid thing haha).

God damn. This still gets me every time I sit with it and read Rorie's words.

I love this site, Ryan lives on in everything they produce, every snarky ass comment by Jeff, every "back in the day" story from Jeff... everything feels like a little bit of Ryan Davis is part of it. I'm so thankful the guys went back to work after this tragedy, Jeff, Ryan, Brad and Vinny worked too hard to have it fall apart.

I've thought about what will happen to the site when Jeff eventually leaves. I'm not sure I'm ever going to be ready for that day, but the Ryan experience has taught me that the Giant Bomb crew is a talented and committed group of people that will find a way to continue producing content we all love and enjoy.

These guys all feel like people we know, they're the friends we've never met and I'm eternally grateful to all of them for that.

I'm right there with all of you. And back when this happened it was so comforting to read this thread, these posts and know that it wasn't just me that couldn't comprehend the feeling of loss I felt about a person I'd never met.

But the important thing is that Ryan lives on through Giantbomb.

We all know that it hasn't been the same since, and never will. But the staff of Giantbomb, past and present, Ryan lives on in them. Every bit of content they produce is in some part thanks to Ryan. It's those staff members that deserve so much credit, and compassion and thanks from the community for continuing on in the face of such a tragic loss.

The thing that always sticks with me is what Vinny said on the podcast after it happened. About how Ryan has affected the way he will raise Max, his son. This for me was the most powerful thing. I hope it gives Ryan's friends and family some small amount of comfort knowing that Ryan lives on through Vinny.

Through Max.

Through the Giantbomb staff.

And through the entire Giantbomb community.

Thanks, Ryan.

We are approaching the 4-year anniversary of Ryan's passing. I remember when I first heard the heartbreaking news. It struck me in such a way that heavily affected me. I never knew Ryan. But, actually, I did. Not personally, of course. Yet his relationship with the Giant Bomb audience felt personal. That's what first drew me to Giant Bomb. Everything was transparent. There was no corporate veil filtering what could be uploaded to the site. So in this way, you really got to know the Giant Bomb team, who they really were. I will be forever grateful and appreciative for how Giant Bomb was always so open with their viewers.

It was through this transparency that I got to know Ryan Davis. I grew up with Ryan. Even though I never met the man in person, his joy seeped through in every video and every Bombcast. Unbeknownst to him, he helped me through many hard times. And I can never explain to him how much he meant to me.

It's so strange how someone you've never met could affect you in such a dramatic way. His presence, his joy, his love, his wit - it affected us all. It rubbed off on everyone. Those he knew personally and those of us across the internet and across the world.

I'm actually tearing up again typing all this. I do sincerely miss Ryan. It just makes it worse remembering how close to his wedding his passing was. Jeff and crew has managed to continue to do an excellent job with the site. We appreciate everything you all do for us. Stay strong GB family. Everyone, have a great and safe 4th of July!

-Brian Lambert

Yeah I was thinking about it yesterday. I feel pretty much the same duder. I remember the exact moment I saw the article when I loaded up GB in the morning. Never has a 'celebrity' passing had such an impact on me. I felt like I knew Ryan despite never having had met him. Such a genuine guy.

Four years later and I still go through all of Ryan's videos around this time. R.I.P. Ryan, you'll never be forgotten.

Realest Summer Jams all day today. Love to all of you duders.

Been going through the Deadly Premonition ER lately (and finding out that it won't work with steam/win10 now for stupid reasons).

Time to pull up a bunch of fun quick looks with Ryan & enjoy some good/bad games with the GB crew! Miss you Ryan & cheers to all the fun times at Giant Bomb!

https://www.giantbomb.com/profile/fox01313/lists/favorite-quick-looks/30608/

My heart belongs to Giant Bomb ♥

IT'S NEVER OVER!

Never gonna forget Ryan Davis and how awesome he was. Thanks for the memories.

RIP to one of the greats.

RIP Ryan. Gone but will never be forgotten.

Miss you Ryan.